Tennis ace Dan serves up his first ever title

Dan Dean

Published:08:30Friday 25 October 2013

Young tennis ace Dan Dean has claimed his first U12 title, winning an LTA regional event in Northampton.

Dan, who is currently ranked number 10 for his age in the country, battled to victory against a highly competitive field. The tight final match ended 6-7, 7-6, 10-7, with 12 year old Dan spending over 2 and a half hours on court.

Mike James, one of Dan’s coaches at Halton Tennis Centre, was optimistic about the positive impact of the victory.

“This win is a very good confidence builder for Dan,” he said.

“It’s a really nice platform for the first national event next week.”

Dan, who lives in Whitchurch, will be the sixth seed at the LTA national event in Bath and stands a real chance of winning at national level for the first time. Reflecting on the tournament, he was pleased with the evidence of progress in his game and had a message of gratitude for the support he receives in training.

“It’s great to win against a very tough opponent and to get a tournament victory. But I am pretty exhausted because the final went on for so long, and I had played a very difficult semi.

“I believe I am getting better and I must thank everyone at Halton who works with me, but especially my coach Pete Thorne for working me hard and putting up with me during the early morning training sessions.”

A student at Aylesbury Grammar School, Dan is the one of the boys to benefit from the new student athlete partnership between Halton Tennis Centre and the school.

The agreement will create a new tennis development centre based at AGS, and allow for greater coordination to meet the needs of talented young players.

Mike James is full of praise for the link between the two organisations and its potential to help the development of budding tennis players in the area.

“This will ensure that a player like Dan can continue with a first class education and his tennis,” he said.

“It’s a huge, huge step forward for Halton and will allow the school to attract the highest calibre of pupils.”

Trending

Showmen disappointed at cancellation of Thame fair and are concerned for the future